Can a defendant be found guilty of possession of property that was stolen after the crime has been committed?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Stansberry, F081994 (Cal. App. 2021):

(In re Anthony J. (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 718, 728.) Furthermore, "knowing possession by a defendant of recently stolen property raises a strong inference of the other element of the crime: the defendant's knowledge of the tainted nature of the property. This inference is so substantial that only 'slight' additional corroborating evidence need be adduced in order to permit a finding of guilty." (People v. Anderson (1989) 210 Cal.App.3d 414, 421.) "Catching a defendant with the goods in possession shortly after a theft rationally suggests a connection to and knowledge of the crime; while the passage of a long period between the theft and the defendant's possession of the stolen property weakens any inference of guilty knowledge." (Ibid.)

III. Analysis

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